The Phillies were unable to gain any ground in the division standings over the long weekend, which is unideal considering how quickly we’re approaching the end of the season. But even with another division title looking like a longshot, the Phillies need to get as many wins as they can in the coming weeks to bolster their playoff positioning.

This week sees another first place team come to Citizens Bank Park. However, unlike the Braves, the Houston Astros are in first place mostly because somebody has to be in first in the American League West.

Opposition research: Yordan Alvarez

The star studded roster of the 2022 Astros is a thing of the past. Stars like Kyle Tucker, Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, and Alex Bregman have moved on. Jose Altuve is still around, but plays like he needs a new battery in his buzzer these days.

Still, the Astros are in first place for two main reasons:

1. The American League West is awful.
2. Yordan Alvarez is having an epic season.

Phillies fans should need no reminder as to who Alvarez is.

Note: I was surprised to look back and see that Alvarez struggled for most of the 2022 World Series, going 3-23. It shows you how much important home runs can flip narratives.

Considering the Phillies’ lefthanded relief situation has yet to sort itself out, it seems inevitable that Jose Alvarado is going to face Alvarez at some point in this series. I wouldn’t blame anyone for simply turning off their television when that happens. (Honestly, I wouldn’t blame anyone for turning off the TV for any Alvarado appearance, even though he has been somewhat better lately.) I was very surprised to learn that Alvarado and Alvarez haven’t squared off since 2022. Maybe Jose has just been waiting his chance to get some revenge?

Alvarez has been one of the best offensive players in the American League for years, although injuries limited him to just 48 games in 2025. In 2026, he’s healthy and it shows. He’s currently leading in all traditional Triple Crown categories, as well as walks and OPS.

Hating on the Astros

I still don’t understand how the Astros weren’t stripped of their World Series title from 2017. They clearly cheated, the league punished a bunch of the people involved, and the owner was only able to “defend” what they did using this word salad.

I’m sure they were also cheating somehow in 2022, but we’re still waiting for those details to come out.

Remembering a guy who used to play for both the Phillies and Astros

Brandon Duckworth’s popularity in Philadelphia was almost entirely due to his name, and the fans’ desire to start a fan club for every new player who joined the team. In August 2001, Duckworth was called up to make his debut and I believe there were about 50 different groups in the Veterans Stadium stands calling themselves either the “Duck Pond” or “Quack Pack” that day. (The number of groups eventually whittled down to just one or two.)

Duckworth gave those fans something to cheer about during his rookie season when he had a 3.52 ERA in eleven starts. Not so much the following year when his era shot up to 5.41. After another disappointing season in 2003, the Phillies sent him to the Astros as part of the trade for Billy Wagner.

I don’t know if Duckworth had any fan groups in Houston, but I can’t imagine he would, considering his ERA in two seasons there was 8.08.

Duckworth moved to Kansas City after 2005, but he was similarly bad there. After a stint in Japan, he moved to a front office role and is currently employed by the Yankees’ scouting department.

Additional thought about the series

It wasn’t a terrific weekend for the Phillies’ offense. I don’t have the exact figures, but it felt like Bryce Harper in particular abandoned his recent patient approach and was far more aggressive at the plate. Part of that may be trying to overcompensate for the rest of the lineup which hasn’t produced much lately.

The Phillies’ power has largely vanished in September. They have five home runs in the month, and three are by Kyle Schwarber. Luiz Arraez is showing why the Phillies didn’t pursue him last offseason, as his lack of power and refusal to accept a walk have hurt the team at times. And if anyone is still waiting for Trea Turner to finally get hot, you probably need to end that dream.

Can they improve during this series? The starters they’re scheduled to face appear to be a mixed bag. Hayden Wesneski has looked good in seven starts after coming back from Tommy John surgery. Hunter Brown hasn’t matched his 2025 season where he finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting, but he’s still been solid. They will seem to get a break in the third game against Cristian Brown who was demoted from the rotation and later reinserted only because the Astros were short on arms.

The Phillies can generally rely on their rotation to give them a good start most nights. But without more help from the offense (and the bullpen, but that’s a whole different story), that’s only going to get them so far.

I hope you all had a nice Labor Day holiday! The Twins did not, dropping the first game of a three-game series to the Tigers in Joe Ryan’s return from the injured list. In the previous week, the team went overall 3-3, taking a series 2-1 against the Tigers and then dropping a series 1-2 to the White Sox. They are now 8 games below .500, and 4.5 games outside of the final wild card spot. While there’s a chance, it’s growing more slim to play October baseball and frankly, their playoff chances are not completely in their own hands. So let’s just try to enjoy this last month of baseball!

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
• We’re starting a new segment called Daily Questions! Provide your opinion on the Twins and debate with the community!
• Game threads and recaps are back! Commiserate with your fellow fans as we experience the season together.
• Aidan O’Brien provides his September update on the Twins top-40 prospects.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• Patrick Reusse at the Star Tribune looks at why fans should be excited about Luke Keaschall taking control of the leadoff hitter spot.
• Matthew Leach at MLB.com discusses how Taj Bradley has turned around his career prospects this season.
• The St. Paul Saints set the International League record for homers in a season last week and Theo Tollefson at Zone Coverage looks at how the team is setting it’s eyes on a bigger goal – the MiLB record.

In the World of Baseball:

• Tell me if you’ve heard this before – nothing has changed in the American League. Tampa Bay still holds a commanding 4.0-game lead over the Yankees for top spot in the American League, and the White Sox and Astros hold the top spots in their respective divisions. The Blue Jays, Rangers, and Orioles are all within three games of the final wild card spot.
• The pennant race in the National League is a bit closer, with the Dodgers only 1.5 games behind the Brewers, and Atlanta is only 2.0 games behind. However, the Phillies, who have mounted a serious comeback since their abysmal April, have now climbed to the top wild card and have an outside chance at catching up to Atlanta, who have a 4.0 game lead. The Cubs and Diamondbacks round out the last two wild card spots, although the Padres are only 0.5 game behind the Dbacks.
• Jeff Passan at ESPN breaks down the candidates for the MLB’s next expansion teams.
• Manny Randhawa at MLB.com covers the first perfect game pitched in the minors since 2017.
• Despite leading the American League, Ben Clemens at Fangraphs looks at how Tampa Bay is dealing with injuries to a couple of pivotal pitchers.

Shohei Ohtani is still injured, and he doesn’t expect that to change between now and whenever the Dodgers are finished playing this year.

His acceptance of this reality shouldn’t be mistaken for submission. 

Ohtani said he can play through the discomfort in his right arm and left knee. He said he will overcome his current physical limitations by making changes to his swing.

“With some creativity, I think I can make up for what’s not right,” Ohtani said in Japanese. “Another way to say it is that it’s an opportunity to create new ways to compete.”

The question isn’t about his intent.

What’s unknown is whether what he said is even possible. What does he plan on doing, teach himself how to hit on one leg with one arm?

Ohtani played on Monday for the first time in five days and was 0 for 3 with a walk in a 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium.

Striking out twice, he was about as non-threatening as he was the last time he played. Circling his forearm after fouling off a pitch in the seventh inning, he looked as physically compromised as he did last week.

Picturing this version of Ohtani as an offensive contributor in the playoffs feels unrealistic, but it’s not as if the Dodgers have a choice but to let him try to figure out something. Their offense isn’t the same when he’s not producing. 

Besides, if anyone can do the unthinkable, it’s Ohtani, who became a two-way player in the major leagues when the odds were believed to be stacked against him.

He’s not afraid to fail, and he’s not ashamed when he does.

Which is why he said he didn’t regret his attempt to return to the mound this season, even though it’s almost certainly responsible for his diminished physical state.

“If there was a chance I could contribute on the pitching side, I think September was the time to throw with that goal in mind,” Ohtani said. “I think we went for it at the appropriate time. 

“The result of that was a feeling that this season didn’t go well.”

Problems with his arm and knee kept from pitching after his start on July 3. But Ohtani did everything in his power to pitch again, and that probably cost him whatever chance he had of healing his arm and knee.

“For a pretty long time, it felt like there were times it got better and times it got worse,” Ohtani said. “I tried throwing, tried making adjustments, tried throwing live batting practice. When I raised the intensity, I felt the effects, and there were questions of whether I could contribute in the postseason. I think what the team didn’t want most was for me to push myself to where I couldn’t play as a hitter.”

When the Dodgers indicated they wanted him to abort his pitching comeback, Ohtani said, “I wanted to obey them.”

Ohtani sounded at peace with the decision.

On the prospect of him pitching again this season, he said, “I think there’s almost no chance of that.”

Ohtani added, “Right now, I think I want to focus on offense.”

Breaking out of his slump might require him to do so.

Ohtani is six for his last 52. He has only one home run in his last 22 games played outside of Coors Field in high-altitude Denver.

“I don’t feel extremely uncomfortable,” he said. “I don’t feel I’m especially late.”

In his view, he’s just missing the ball.

“It’s just that when I think I’m squaring it up, it goes foul,” he said. 

Ohtani didn’t blame his recent cold streak on his health, but he didn’t say his physical problems weren’t responsible for his decline in form, either.

Not feeling extremely uncomfortable doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel uncomfortable. Not feeling especially late doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel late.

Ohtani acknowledged he was concerned about his lead arm and back leg, and that he didn’t expect to feel healthy anytime soon.

“Just moving will, of course, slow down the recovery,” he said. “Whether it’s pitching or hitting, I think doing nothing and resting is the best.”

Ohtani didn’t plan on doing that, probably figuring that he was more likely to figure out how to perform with a broken-down body than he was to restore his health over the remainder of the regular season.

Rather than complain about the obstacles, Ohtani said he was in search of solutions.

“I think there are things that I’ve done until now that I’ll have to change,” he said.

He didn’t view himself as a lost cause.

“If I make adjustments,” he said, “I think my form will sufficiently improve.”

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockies fans and fans across the country.

One of the storylines during the 2026 Colorado Rockies season has been Hunter Goodman. The 26-year-old catcher made his second-consecutive All-Star Game this year, and has been an absolute force at the plate. So far, he’s smashed a record-breaking 36 home runs and there are still 19 games left of the season. If Goodman is able to eclipse 40 homers, he will be the first Rockie to do it since Nolan Arenado hit 41 in 2019.

Do you think he can do it? Let us know, and tell us your final predictions in the comments!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Toronto Blue Jays have fallen out of a wild-card spot after two straight defeats, but they’re -180 favorites tonight with Jose Soriano on the hill against the Athletics.

Find out why I expect a Toronto win and plenty of scoring in my Blue Jays vs. Athletics predictions and MLB picks for Tuesday, Sept. 8, with first pitch from Sutter Health Park at 9:40 p.m. ET.

Blue Jays vs A’s predictions

Blue Jays vs A’s best bet: Over 9.5 (-110)

The Toronto Blue Jays and Athletics combined for 11 runs on Monday, and I’m predicting a similarly high-scoring game tonight with Jack Perkins starting for the Athletics.

Perkins ranks in the sixth percentile in pitching run value with a 6.50 ERA and 1.54 WHIP, while posting a massive 8.86 ERA over his last five starts. 

Perkins pitched beyond the fifth inning just once during that stretch, and he’ll hand the ball off to the worst bullpen in the majors, which owns a collective 5.43 ERA.

After a solid start to his tenure with the Toronto Blue Jays, Jose Soriano has also hit a rough patch. The right-hander carries a 4.76 ERA over his last five starts.

I’m playing the Over to -115.

COVERS INTEL: The Over has cashed in eight of Perkins’ last 11 starts, and five of Soriano’s last six outings.

Blue Jays vs A’s same-game parlay (SGP)

The Blue Jays will have the advantage on the mound for nine innings and should be able to outscore the Athletics, even if the hosts get to Soriano.

Nathan Lukes will be integral to Toronto’s success at the plate — he’s batting .355 in September with multiple hits in four of his last six games.

The Blue Jays outfielder also leads the team in hits vs. right-handed pitching this season (31).

Blue Jays vs A’s SGP

• Blue Jays moneyline
• Over 9.5
• Nathan Lukes Over 1.5 total bases

Blue Jays vs A’s home run pick: Nathan Lukes (+625)

Lukes has just 10 home runs this season, but he’s been heating up with four since Aug. 20. He’s also hit nine of his dingers vs. right-handed pitching, which is why I like tonight’s matchup vs. Perkins so much.

Perkins has allowed 1.7 HR/9 this season, which is one of the worst marks in the majors.

Blue Jays vs A’s odds

• Moneyline: Toronto -180 | Athletics +155
• Run line: Toronto -1.5 (-115) | Athletics +1.5 (-105)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-105) | Under 9.5 (-115)

Blue Jays vs A’s trend

The Blue Jays have hit the team total Over in 11 of their last 16 away games (+5.30 Units / 27% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. A’s.

How to watch Blue Jays vs A’s and game info

Blue Jays vs A’s latest injuries

Blue Jays vs A’s weather

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The final AL Wild Card spot looks out of sight for the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers, but there's divisional bragging rights on the line as they square off at Comerica Park tonight, and the hosts enter as 56% favorites.

Detroit edged a free-scoring series opener yesterday, and my Twins vs. Tigers predictions signal another tough outing for a Minnesota team that struggles away from Target Field.

Read on for my free MLB picks for this Tuesday, Sept. 8 clash, with first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET.

Who will win Twins vs Tigers today: Tigers moneyline (57%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

With three walk-off losses in the past week, it's no exaggeration to say the Detroit Tigers could be on a six-game win streak as they face the Minnesota Twins tonight.

I'm jumping on the Tigers moneyline given their history of feasting on Minnesota starter Dean Kremer, while fading a Twins team that’s 2-9 in its past 11 road games. This is playable up to 60%.

Kremer has an ugly 5.81 ERA this season, and he’s coughed up 15 runs in his last four outings. Even worse, he's posted a 9.12 career ERA against Detroit.

In contrast, the Tigers send the in-form Drew Anderson to the mound (2.96 ERA in his past five starts), and he held the Twins to one earned run through 5 2/3 innings of work earlier this month.

COVERS INTEL: Detroit has had Kremer’s number. He’s faced the Tigers twice this year — once with the Orioles, once with the Twins — and he’s given up a combined 14 hits and 12 earned runs.

Twins vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (49%)

Last night’s contest cashed the Over, and I’m expecting more of the same here, with the Detroit bats coming alive to the tune of 33 runs in their last six games. 

The Over has been a winning ticket in the past seven meetings between these teams, and it's 44-23-5 across Minnesota's 72 road contests this season. I'm also giving both lineups an edge against pitchers they faced just a week ago.

Each of Kremer's last five starts has delivered 11+ total runs, and the Twins’ relievers drag a 4.85 ERA into this matchup. Plus, Comerica Park continues to rank in the top half of the league for hitters.

Twins vs Tigers home run prediction: Riley Greene (17%)

Riley Greene was one of the Detroit heroes yesterday with a decisive two-run blast, and he also clubbed a pair of homers in Cleveland on Saturday as part of a scorching start to September. He's posted a 1.292 OPS across six games so far this month.

I see that continuing here against Kremer, who's allowing 2.0 dingers per nine innings in 2026, up from 1.2 last season, and a vulnerable Minnesota bullpen.

Kremer has been tagged for 16 homers this year, and nine of those have come against lefties. That bodes well for Greene, and I see him adding to his 19-HR tally tonight.

Twins vs Tigers weather

It’s set to be a cloudy night in Detroit with perfect baseball conditions and temperatures in the upper 70s for the first pitch.

Twins vs Tigers odds

• Moneyline: Twins 44% | Tigers 56%
• Run line: Twins +1.5 | Tigers -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Twins vs Tigers trend

The Over is 7-3 in Minnesota's last 10 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. Tigers.

How to watch Twins vs Tigers and game info

Twins vs Tigers latest injuries

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It's a full slate of MLB action on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Our MLB expert picks cover three of those clashes, including the Washington Nationals as big-time underdogs in San Diego.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals also feature prominently in our MLB picks below.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Probability
Josh Inglis: WSH ML	37%
Neil Parker: PHI ML	57%
Joe Osborne: KC ML	49%

Probabilities courtesy of Polymarket. For help understanding Polymarket probabilities, see our odds calculator.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: Nationals moneyline

Price: 37¢ at Polymarket

The Washington Nationals have dropped five straight games and have seen their market price fall, trading at just 37% today in a matchup where they can be competitive.

James Wood is back and has gone 6-for-19 with three extra-base hits since returning, boosting an offense that was the highest-scoring in the first half.

San Diego Padres starter Casey Mize is not a pitcher I want to back as a 67% favorite. He's struggled since coming over from Detroit, owning a 6.67 ERA with eight homers allowed over 27 innings.

His strikeouts are way down, and he's allowed five homers with just five strikeouts over his last three starts. His 6.05 xFIP is the worst of any San Diego pitcher in the second half with at least 20 innings.

The Nationals are going with a questionable opener, but every other arm is basically available. With the market giving them just a 37% chance to win, THE BAT's 42% fair price gives us enough value to take a shot on the Nats.

• Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Nationals.TV, Padres.TV

Neil Parker's expert pick: Phillies moneyline

Price: 57¢ at Polymarket

The Philadelphia Phillies rank fifth in xwOBA with 4.7 runs per game across the past 30 days, while the Houston Astros rank last in the advanced metric with just 3.8 runs per game.

Promising Philly starter Andrew Painter has also found a groove, allowing two runs or fewer in five of his past seven starts while spinning a tidy 2.98 xERA and limiting opposing hitters to a minuscule 3.8% barrel rate.

Additionally, while Houston righty Hayden Wesneski has only allowed a single run across his past three outings, serious statistical correction is coming for his unsustainable .125 BABIP and 92.3% strand rate during the run.

For more, Neil gives a full breakdown in his Astros vs. Phillies predictions.

• Time:  6:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: TBS

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Royals moneyline

Price: 49¢ at Polymarket

This is a sneaky spot to back the home dog.

Corbin Burnes makes his season debut, but a limited buildup could keep him on a short leash. The Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen could be stretched thin after burning through seven arms yesterday.

The Kansas City Royals rank third in home OPS over the last month and are well positioned to take advantage.

Michael Wacha has carried his strong season into the second half, with the Royals winning his last four starts. Add a reliable bullpen, and there’s plenty to like about K.C. at an underdog price.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Diamondbacks.TV, Royals.TV

More MLB best bets for today

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The Colorado Rockies visit the New York Yankees tonight, with New York a heavy favorite at Yankee Stadium. 

My Rockies vs. Yankees predictions and MLB picks for Tuesday, Sept. 8, aren't eyeing an upset in the Bronx, either.

The pitching matchup already leans strongly toward the Yankees, and now they get back multi-time MVP Aaron Judge for the stretch run. At long last for Yankees fans, the captain has been activated and is expected to appear tonight.

Who will win Rockies vs Yankees today: Yankees -2.5 (46%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

I love the New York Yankees tonight. 

Cam Schlittler is the clearest edge on the field: His Statcast profile with a 94th percentile K rate, 88th percentile chase rate, and 77th percentile whiff rate reads like a nightmare for a Colorado Rockies team that ranks in the Top 5 in virtually any strikeout metric.

Gabriel Hughes' underlying contact numbers are better than his results, which is the one reason I’m not laying a bigger number on the Yankees. His 3.65 xERA and 28.9% hard-hit rate point to some positive regression, but his 18.9% whiff rate ranks in just the seventh percentile, while a 9.1% walk rate gives the Yankees opportunities to build innings. New York has enough power to turn those extra baserunners into a multi-run lead.

I’d play the Yankees -2.5 to 52%. The Bombers will easily be one of the Top-5 largest favorites of the season by first pitch, but it's not large enough.

COVERS INTEL:The Yankees would have to top the Dodgers' mark against the Rockies on May 27, 2026, when L.A. closed at 81% as the season's largest favorite. As of writing, they currently sit at 77%.

Rockies vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (49%)

I’m taking a small Under position. Schlittler is Schlitter and cannot afford to have a bad outing while leading the Cy Young odds race. He gives the Rockies an offensive floor, while Hughes’ contact-quality numbers give him a better chance to survive than his 6.19 ERA suggests. 

The risk is his command. A few free passes can put the Yankees in position to score without needing hard contact, and the total can get away quickly if the Bombers gets to the middle innings early.

Still, this matchup is more likely to produce a controlled Yankees win than a full offensive shootout. I’d play Under 7.5 down to 51%. I see this being a 5-1 or 6-1 type of game.

Rockies vs Yankees home run prediction: Jazz Chisholm Jr (17%)

I'll roll with Jazz Chisholm Jr. at this price point. His 22.7% pull rate on airballs also gives him a clear path to turn a mistake into a short right-field porch shot.

Hughes’ low whiff rate means Chisholm should get a chance to put the ball in play, and one elevated fastball is enough for his power to take the righty deep in the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium.

Rockies vs Yankees weather

Rockies vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: Rockies 35% | Yankees 75%
• Run line: Rockies +2.5 | Yankees -2.5
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Rockies vs Yankees trend

The Yankees have hit the run line in 12 of their last 19 games (+8.15 Units / 37% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rockies vs. Yankees.

How to watch Rockies vs Yankees and game info

Rockies vs Yankees latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

In the midst of some frustrating games as the Guardians try to chase down a playoff spot, it’s important not to lose track of what Daniel Espino has done these past few days for Cleveland the journey he has taken to get to this point.

From the moment he was drafted in 2019, Guardians’ fans have been counting down the days to see Daniel Espino and his electric fastball, dynamic slider and devastating curveball in Cleveland. In 2022, Espino had knee surgery. He missed the 2023-2025 seasons almost entirely with two separate shoulder surgeries, returning to the mound with Columbus just as the season finished last year. And, here we are, on September 8th, with a legitimate chance for Espino to finish a full season of pitching professional baseball (knock-on-wood, etc).

Espino has thrown 49 innings this season, so far, eight in the majors and 41 with Columbus. It looks as if the dreams of him becoming a starter are no longer on the table, so it’s high leverage reliever that’s in his sights. In Columbus, he has a 3.68 ERA/3.27 xERA and with Cleveland he has a 3.00 ERA/2.61 xERA. He’s got a 12/5 K/BB/9 in Columbus and a 17/4 K/BB/9 in the bigs. His stuff absolutely plays (108 Stuff+ grade on his fastball, 107 on the slider and 120 on the curve!), and it is simply an issue of getting delivery, command and pitch mix refined to make this man into an absolute menace at the back of the bullpen. Look at his Baseball Savant and you will see a ton of red, with only his walk issue, some lack of chase and not getting enough groundballs being areas where improvement is needed.

Given this is his first full season of professional baseball in four years, I think Guardians’ fans should be optimistic that Espino – a known gym rat – is going to attack an offseason plan with vigor to make the improvements needed to reduce the walk rate and get more chases on his pitches. Of course, the stupid lockout will throw a slight wrench into this, but you can bet the team is working right now with him to make sure he knows exactly what he needs to do. If you haven’t read Zack Meisel’s story about Espino’s journey for the Athletic, including the passing of his father and all the injury travails, it’s a must-click.

There is a lot to be excited about for Espino in the future. But, for now, can we just appreciate what Espino is doing? I mean, look at this electric 102 mph fastball he used to strikeout Dillon Dingler in a game the Guardians’ absolutely had to have last Friday:

Not only did Espino come into a crucial spot for the Guardians on Friday night (down 3-1 in the 7th), but he went TWO scoreless innings and struck out three batters, allowing one hit. He followed that up yesterday with a scoreless inning, allowing two hits, but striking out to two batters to get out of trouble.

I don’t know about you, but whatever else this season brings, I am excited to see Daniel Espino pitch for my favorite baseball team in this final stretch. He’s been through so much and is showing that the worst that can happen doesn’t have to be the final say in any situation if you’re willing to work hard and not give up. AND if you have an arm that sizzles with electricity. I will be rooting so hard for him to finish strong and set himself up as a high leverage option for the Guardians for the 2027 season and beyond.

This is the latest in a series focused on the 35th Anniversary of the 1991 Atlanta Braves, the team that reversed the franchise’s fortunes with an unforgettable season. Veteran first baseman Sid Bream recalls his decision to sign with Atlanta and the events that took an unproven team to Game 7 of the World Series.

Looking back on the improbable nature of the 1991 season for the Atlanta Braves, the seeds of success were planted well in advance of their worst-to-first journey to the World Series. Drafting and developing a new generation of talent laid the foundation, but acquiring the right veterans to put the team over the top and on the path to contention was the next step in that progression.

When John Schuerholz took over as Atlanta general manager in the winter of 1990, his mandate was to elevate the entire operation. From the front office to the field and even the stadium conditions, Schuerholz sought to upgrade how Braves baseball was experienced.

For the team itself, this meant finding the right pieces to create a well-rounded roster. A host of young talent was already assembled, but experience was in short supply for the Braves. 

To complete the puzzle, Schuerholz targeted veterans from winning franchises who possessed both tangible and intangible value. That search brought former Pittsburgh Pirates Sid Bream and Rafael Belliard as well as longtime St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Terry Pendleton to Atlanta.

Bream, who reached free agency for the first time at age 30 in the winter of 1990, was coming off a trip to the National League Championship Series with Pittsburgh. Serving as the strong side of a platoon at first base for the Pirates, Bream appeared in 147 games and batted .270 with 15 home runs and 67 RBI in 389 at-bats, posting an .804 OPS in 1990.

The Braves got to work at the annual Winter Meetings, Schuerholz’s first at the helm.

On December 5, 1990, Atlanta signed Bream to a three-year, $5.5 million contract. That occurred just two days after inking Pendleton to a four-year, $10.2 million deal. Belliard was added a couple of weeks later, completing an infield revamp designed to provide a young pitching staff with proven veterans to make plays behind them.

“Our attempt in coming to these meetings was to make improvements in our club, not only ability, but makeup,” Schuerholz told the Associated Press at the time. “This certainly makes us stronger.”

Solving first base had proven quite difficult for the Braves prior to Bream’s arrival.

In the winter of 1989, they signed slugger Nick Esasky to a three-year, $5.7 million deal. Fresh off a 30-homer season with the Boston Red Sox, Esasky was limited to just nine games with Atlanta in 1990 and was eventually diagnosed with vertigo. That pressed rookie outfielder David Justice into action at first base, a position he would play for several months before the trade of long-time fan favorite Dale Murphy to the Philadelphia Phillies in August. That bittersweet move opened up right field and paved the way for Justice to earn Rookie of the Year honors.

The Bream signing brought some left-handed power, a steady glove, and leadership to Atlanta. But truth be told, he never intended to leave Pittsburgh. Bream grew up in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and enjoyed being back in his home state after starting his professional career with the Los Angeles Dodgers before coming over in a 1985 trade.

“I was a free agent, but the Pirates had told me at that point in time, after we lost to the Cincinnati Reds, ‘Sid Bream is our first priority to sign for the 1991 year,’” Bream said. “So, we weren’t even thinking about going anyplace else, truthfully. Then throughout negotiations, they didn’t even get close to the market price on me, let alone anything more for being their priority.”

The Pirates’ inaction opened the door for the Braves to add a player who quickly became a respected team leader. All that was left was for Bream to walk through that door.

“The market opened up and we opened ourselves up, not even thinking anything about it, truthfully,” Bream recalled of his family’s decision to explore new opportunities. “The Braves gave us a great offer, but even after that, I tried to stay in Pittsburgh. If they were to give me a no-trade clause, I’d have stayed there. But it didn’t happen. They said no to the no-trade clause. And I said, ‘Man, if I’m your first priority, then I’d hate to see what your last one is.’”

Bream arrived at his new baseball home motivated and with a fresh challenge in front of him. He was part of a young Pirates club that climbed from 98 losses in 1986, his first full season, all the way up to 95 wins and a trip to the postseason in 1990. While the Pirates played in the NLCS, the Braves wrapped up a 97-loss campaign.

It was fair to wonder how long it would take for Atlanta to follow a similar trajectory to Pittsburgh’s, and Bream was about to find out.

“We came down to Atlanta, not knowing what to expect other than the fact they had a lot of great young ball players,” Bream said. “John Schuerholz was bringing in some people that knew how to play the game and knew how to win (like) Terry Pendleton and Charlie Leibrandt. Raphael Belliard shored up shortstop but (we) all had some leadership in there. I had some winning underneath me, so it was a great fit. The young guys listened well. Bobby Cox and the rest of the coaching staff did a great job, and it got us to where we needed to be.”

Cox served five years as Atlanta’s general manager from 1986-1990, orchestrating trades and drafts to fill the organizational pipeline with young talent. With many of those players arriving in the major leagues, Cox stepped out of the front office and back into the dugout to resume a managerial career he’d put on hold after 1985.

With Schuerholz taking over Atlanta’s executive responsibilities after nearly two decades as the GM for the Kansas City Royals, Cox could now focus on getting the most out of the roster. In order to accomplish that, the need for proven veteran voices to help guide a youthful team was critical.

“One of the nice things about Bobby Cox – and you don’t find a lot of managers that allow this to happen – but Bobby Cox allowed Terry, myself, and Charlie to have team meetings without the coaching staff to be able to hash things out and talk things through,” Bream said. “We started to do that on a regular basis. Sometimes we got into some pretty good little spats, but we were trying to get the young players to understand what it was and what it meant to be a winner. But you could start to feel things starting to come together.”

Those meetings enhanced the accountability, but the shared experience of a pennant race brought the Braves closer together and closer to relevance than they’d been in nearly a decade.

A rivalry with the Dodgers would decide how the National League West was won. Atlanta rolled into the All-Star break at 39-40, their best record at the halfway point since 1984. The Braves even spent a week in first place from May 10-17, but they weren’t content to allow that to be the high-water mark for their season.

The second half was a magical ride for an Atlanta team that had finished in last place for three consecutive seasons and lost 90-plus games five times in the previous six years. The Braves came out of the break by winning 9 of 11 and trimming their division deficit from 9-1/2 games down to 2-1/2 games in just two weeks.

“It wasn’t until after the All-Star break that we put that winning streak together and it got us back into contention,” Bream said. “At that point in time, you started to feel things happening. Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium started to buzz and I think that’s when everything started to get to the place of, ‘Wow, we can do this.’”

As the momentum grew that summer, so did the crowds in Atlanta. With the rivalry reaching its crescendo down the stretch, there were 45,000 fans per game packing the stands to see the Braves and Dodgers square off. Trailing by a half game in the standings, Atlanta took 2-of-3 from Los Angeles in the first of two September series and moved into first place.

Bream delivered a grand slam in the first inning on September 15 as the Braves guaranteed their first winning season since 1983 with a 9-1 victory. They would trade first place with the Dodgers five times in the final 32 games before Atlanta finally clinched the division title on October 5, 1991, in Game No. 161.

“Seeing that they were in front of us but being able to go up against them and win ballgames to take the lead away from them was always a special time,” Bream said. “After the All-Star break we started to do that. Then you started to hear that tomahawk chop get going in the whole stadium. It was a very, very, very special time. I tell people the ‘91 season, for me, was probably the most special. Watching a team go from last place to first place and having a city adopt us the way that they adopted us, it was a very, very special time for us.”

The Braves headed to the NLCS against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was a first for Atlanta, but Bream’s old team was once again attempting to reach the World Series. A classic seven-game series would follow, with the Braves winning the final two games on the road to clinch the NL pennant.

Waiting for Atlanta were the Minnesota Twins, another club that had gone from last place in 1990 to play for a championship just one year later. The Braves were a team just learning how to win together en route to their first World Series appearance since 1958. Meanwhile, the Twins won the World Series in 1987 but slipped in the standings before getting back on track in 1991 with future Hall of Famers Kirby Puckett and Jack Morris leading the way. 

The two teams squared off in a classic World Series battle, a seven-game epic in which each team won every game played in its home ballpark. The Twins went up 2-0 before the Braves brought the series home and won all three at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. 

Back in Minnesota with two chances to close it out, Atlanta was walked off twice in extra innings. First it was Puckett with a game-winning homer off Liebrandt in the 11th inning of Game 6, then it was Morris with a 10-inning shutout performance in the Game 7 clincher.

Just like that, the incredible season was over and the Braves came up just one game short. Even though they weren’t able to win the World Series, Bream recalls the exhilaration of playing on baseball’s biggest stage – a place no one expected the Braves to reach just six months earlier.

“I tell everybody that all of us want that opportunity, to be in those situations,” Bream said. “I go back and I look on the internet and see how many games were one-run or won in that last at-bat. They could’ve gone either way. It really, truly could have.”

The series was an instant classic, perhaps the greatest ever played. Five games were decided by one run with three going to extra innings.

Atlanta’s scoring chances in Game 7 remain a point of contention. The best opportunity came in the eighth. After Lonnie Smith’s lead-off single, Pendleton doubled to the gap in left center. On the play, Twins rookie Chuck Knoblauch faked a throw to second base, causing Smith to second-guess where the ball was. Rather than picking up third base coach Jimmy Williams for direction, Smith stalled rounding second and had to stop at third.

Knoblauch’s decoy proved to be a game-saving play for Minnesota. After Ron Gant grounded to first and the runners stayed put at second and third, Morris intentionally walked Justice before getting Bream to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Even after 35 years, those missed opportunities are still fresh on the minds of those who lived it.

“Terry had a guy on third base with less than two outs and he didn’t score (in the fifth inning),” Bream recalled. “And obviously, we know about the double with Lonnie (stopping) at second base. I know I had an opportunity with the bases loaded and one out in order to score runs in that last game. We had a lot of opportunities, but Jack Morris that night was just a little bit better. He got the job done. You’ve just got to tip your hat to him. We fought hard, but we just weren’t able to come home with it.”

Bream and the Braves were up to an encore in 1992.

After another magical season, they had an NLCS rematch against the Pirates. Bream’s Game 7 dash from second base to home plate sent Atlanta back to the World Series and still stands as one of the greatest moments in postseason history.

Atlanta ultimately fell to the Toronto Blue Jays in six games in the 1992 World Series. Bream split time with Brian Hunter in 1991 and 1992, but Fred McGriff’s arrival in late 1993 changed things at first base for the Braves.

Bream departed as a free agent and spent his final season as a reserve for the Houston Astros in 1994. He retired after a 12-year career during which he batted .264 with 90 home runs. 455 RBIs, and 50 stolen bases in 1,088 games for the Dodgers, Pirates, Braves and Astros.

If you’d like to dive deeper into first-hand accounts from the ‘91 squad, check out Steve Avery’s retrospective on that fateful season.